Sunday, 2 March 2014

Lemon & Poppy Seed Pancakes with Hot Stewed Plums

It’s pancake day, or to give it its proper name, Shrove
Tuesday this coming Tuesday. This is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of
Lent, when people are meant to use up their eggs, milk and sugar before
refraining from them for Lent. Giving up the foods is not something many people
adhere to nowadays, but the act of making and eating pancakes is a much loved and
followed tradition, certainly in my house.

Growing up we always had the thin crepe style pancakes,
served with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a sprinkling of caster sugar. I
still love these, but decided to experiment with a thicker style pancake this
year. I wanted to stick with the lemon theme, so added lemon zest to the batter
rather than squeezing it over at the end. To accompany the lemon I decided to
add some poppy seeds. Lemon and poppy seed is a classic combination and I liked
the slightly crunch and appearance they added to the pancakes.

The pancakes were thicker than crepes, but not quite as
thick or fluffy as the American style pancakes. I ate these for lunch so rather
than dousing them in syrup I served them with some hot stewed plums, which kept
them less sweet and more suitable for lunch.

I loved the deep glossy red colour the plums turned after
stewing. Their freshness and natural juice added a lovely fruity syrupy
flavour. I added a little yellow cornmeal to the batter to help give them a bit
of texture and also lend a subtle yellow colour to the pancakes. Cornmeal can
something makes things a bit dry, but the fruity juices from the plums soaked
into the pancakes and helped keep them soft and moist.

The lemon flavour really came through and worked wonderfully
with the fruity plums. The poppy seeds added a slight crunch but they were more
for appearance than flavour. Overall a very tasty lunch and a nice change to
the usual crepe style lemon and sugar pancakes, although I’m not saying I won’t
enjoy a few of those on Tuesday too!

Pancakes, how do you enjoy yours?

Lemon & Poppy Seed Pancakes with Hot Stewed Plums

Ingredients

100g gluten free plain flour

25g yellow fine ground cornmeal

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

3 tsp poppy seeds

4 tsp caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1 egg

70-80ml milk

Oil for frying

Plums

6 ripe plums

1 tbsp caster sugar (optional)

1 tbsp water

½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

Half the plums and remove the stones. Slice into segments
and place into a pan along with the water.

Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the plums are
softened and have released their red glossy juices. Taste and add a little
sugar if they are too tart for your liking.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside
while you make the pancakes.

Heat the oven to 50C and place 2 plates into the oven to
warm.

Add all the pancake ingredients expect the egg, milk and oil
into a bowl and mix together. Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg.
Mix gently until the mixture starts to form a batter. Add the milk gradually
until you have a smooth, thick, pourable batter.

Brush a pan with a little oil and heat until hot. Add 1
tablespoon of the pancake batter, letting the mix spread and find its own
shape.

Leave to cook for 15-20 seconds before flipping over and
leaving to cook for a further 15 seconds until lightly golden.

Remove the pancake from the pan and transfer to the plates
in the oven to keep warm.

Repeat with the remaining batter. You should get 8-10 small
pancakes from the mix.

Divide the pancakes between the two plates. Top with the
warm stewed plums and serve.